e
told me, with regard to the shooting of General Delarey in S. Africa,
that it was now said the Government out there meant to shoot Beyers as
well, as they were both supposed to be in the swim to raise a
rebellion, but I cannot believe it. The other guest was Col.
Wedderburn, who is the Hereditary Standard Bearer of Scotland, and is
in charge of a Militia Battalion out here. He is a very nice fellow
too. I am off to try to see General Keir of the 6th Division.

IN BILLETS.
_December 6th, 1914._

I have had the Regiment at church, and now I am dashing off a note to
you before I change and get into my old clothes. You will be glad to
hear that Sir John's chamois leather waistcoat fits me quite well. I
tried it on here, because it is "unhealthy" to stand up in the
trenches. I went over yesterday and saw Gen. Keir, whom I served under
in South Africa. He commands a Division in this war, and is another
old friend of mine, like General Inglefield. The road I took was
paved with cobble stones in the middle, and on each side was a sea of
mud, a specimen of what they are like about here, as there is no stone
in the country, only clay. It was very nice getting out on horseback
again for ten or twelve miles, even along such a road as that. All the
French farmhouses have more artistic fronts than ours; smart shutters,
etc., give them an imposing appearance, but it begins and ends there
fairly well, I think! The town in which we are is the same as a poor
part of Belfast might be--a long paved street; mean houses, and shops
on either side, with dirty little slums running off to the right and
left. Then here and there you come to a better class of house looking
rather out of proportion. I suppose these are the remains of the old
ones, when it was a village occupied by some prosperous doctor or
tradesman. However, I have not been able to find out if there are any
gentry in the place. Our hostess is the widow of a French officer, but
she appears to live in the kitchen! I asked the Mess sergeant whether
the French people did anything curious in their cooking, and he at
once said, "Yes; they never eat any meat, only vegetables and pork!"
Our Divisional General, a Guardsman who is a great stickler for
everything being quite right, was horrified the other day when
crossing a bridge to see a Special Reserve sentry of the "Black Watch"
with his r